Channel islands



(No Model.)

A.- G LSOUTHBYf MODE OF'A-ND APBARATfiS FOR MAKING 1GB. .REFRIGBREI'ING, 6m. v No. 331,457; I Y Y Patented 1190.1,- 1885.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE,

' A. GAPPER soUTnBY, on JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS, ASSIGNOR'OF oun- HALF TO FREDERICK DELAOOURT BLYTH, or nounou, nucLAun.

MODEOF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING I GE,"REFRl GERATING,&,C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 331,457, dated December 1, 1885.

Application filed May 26, 1885. Serial No. 166,729. (No modelJ Patented in England August 8,1877, No. 3,01'i; in France December 22, 1877, No. 121,767; in Belgium December 22, 1877, No. 43,843, and in Germany February I), 1878, No. 2,744.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY GAPPER SOUTHBY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Jersey, one of the Chan- I nel Islands, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Mode ofaud Apparatus for Making Ice, Refrigerating, Evaporating, and Desiccating, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements consist in pumping away the aqueous vapor produced by removing the atmospheric pressure from water or liquids,or substances containing water. For this purpose I use a pump or exhauster to produce the necessary vacuum and draw away the watery vapor, and when it has been so drawn away I more or less compress it and prevent it from condensing in any part ,of the pump or exhauster by keeping all thcparts coming in contact with the vapor at a higher temperature than that at which the vapor condenses at the highest compression to which it issubjected. I use two ormorepumps in succession, the first to draw off the vapor-and commence the compression,- while one or more pumps in succession complete the compression to the desired amount, or, as in the second method mentioned further on,'relieve the first pump or pumps from the pressure of the atmosphere. I sometimes use for drawing off the vapor. and commencing the compression one of the forms of pump called rotary, by preference using one which works without valves, or in which the valves are formed by 3 the piston passing certain passages or positions, but in all cases the pump must act by displacement, or by alternate suction and compression and not by the momentum of the fluidacted on. In these pumps the moving parts are required to fit withgreat accuracy, and a high rate of' speed is advisable-tediminish' the piston-leakage as much as possihie, and the clearance at the outlet end of the action must be reduced as much as possi ble, and a valve should be added to this outlet to remove as much as possible the backpressure on the piston while the vapor is bei'ngcom-pressed. After the vapor has been. drawn awayfrom the waterto be frozen or refrigerated, or from the liquids or substances to be evaporated or desiccated, I employ two methods for getting rid of it.

First method}. After the compression has been carried to a certain extent by the first pump, I still further increase the compression of the vapor by one or more pumps in succession, till the density reaches that of the atmosphere,

7 when I allow it to escape, taking care that every part .of the pumps and passages coming in contact with the vapor-are keptat a sufficient temperature to keep it from condensing, and the vapor as it escapes from the pump may be used to keep up the temperature for thispurpose. In the above the pumps in succession must be of a capacity to receive the vapor as compressed by the preceding pump-for instance, for the production of ice, allowing that approximately the vapor of water at freezing temperature is about one one-hu-ndred-and-fiftieth of the pressure of the atmosphere, and that it will therefore have to be compressed to one one-hundred-audfiftieth of its bulk to allow of its escaping into the atmosphere, I compress the vapor twelve and a quarter times by the first'pump, where using two pumps, and the remaining twelve and a quarter times by the other pump, the second pump being of a capacity to hold the vapor compressed by the first, and the temperature at which it is advisable to keep the difierent'pumps and at which good results will be obtained are, say, not less than 110 Fahrenheit for the first pump, and a boilingtemperature for the second, and proportionately for more pumps in the succession as to capacity and temperature,.and the latter may 'becalculated by reference to atable of the elastic force ofthe vapor of waterat different compressions and temperatures. The pumps may be of anylgood construction adapted for go the purpose of producing ahigh vacuum. Two or more pumps similar to the first pump shown in the drawings of the second method of the proportions mentioned above, and'connected together by pipes, the whole moved by cranks on a shaft driven by any sufficient power,will answer wellr v l V Second method-I condense the vapor as drawn off and more or' less compressed'bythe first pump in a condenser, cooled either by air or water, as is well understood. In this method I employ one pump to produce a more or less perfect vacuum and remove the air denser, from which the condensed water may drawn at the end of the operation.

be pumped by the airpump or may be allowed to collect in a reservoir, from which it may be To make this second method more easily understood, and to show the general arrangement .of the whole apparatus as here described, I have annexed drawings, in which- Figure I is a sectional elevation of an apparatus for carrying out this second method, (which I have found to answer well,) adapted for making ice by hand or small power, being fitted with ice-box and water-cooled condenser, described further on. Fig. II is a section, and Fig. III a plan, of an ice-box for larger requirements, which may be substituted for that shown at Fig. I. Fig. IV is a modification off? 'moved up and down bya connecting-rod and crank, (which is not shown in the drawings for the sake of simplicity,) the vapor being admitted to it through the hollow stationary piston-rod 0. On the end of this piston-rod is formed a. double valve, D, with passage E between for the vapor. Fis the piston, which is made with a passage throughthe center and enlarged cavity in the middle, with valveseats in the upperand lower flanges, against which the valves on the piston-rod are alternately pressed by the motion of the cylinder B, so admitting'the vapor for the u'p-ands down strokes through grooves cut in the valve-seats at G. This mode of actuating. the inlet-valves I have found to answer well, and some kind of actuation is advisable for these valves, especially in small machines and working at a fast stroke, as the density of.

' nally of the sides of the cylinder that they fall away alternately from their seats by their own weight, as the cylinder first inclines to one side, then to the other; or slide valves and gear similar to those used for steam-engines may H, Fig. I, are the exit-valves, which move automatically, as it is not desirable that they should move till the pressure inside the'cyl- I inder equals that in the condenser, or there would be waste of power from back-pressure.

I, Fig. I, is the stuffing-box for the pistonrod, which must not leak air. For this purpose the whole stuffing-box may be enveloped in a vessel of oil, as is often done with airpumps for the laboratory, or, as is shown at H, a short piece of vulcanized india-rubber pipe fitting tightly round the piston-rod and well lubricated, is sprung over a short nozzle on the cylinder end, the india-rubber pipe being kept from stretching lengthwise by a ring of metal fitting loosely over the piston- .rod, held in position by short standards on the cylinder end, as shown. This plan I have found to answer well, if kept constantly lubricated, and wherethepiston-rod does not travel at a high speed.

In the drawings the cylinder is shown surrounded by'a jacket for hot ,water to supply the heat to prevent condensation in the-cylinder by the vapor, and which is assisted by the heat absorbed through the sides of the passages c, connecting the ice-box M with the pump and from the water in the coil of pipe 0, described further on, where the temperature in the passages is lower than that of the atmosphere, as in making ice. The temperature in the water-jacket may conveniently be maintained by steam or gas. The exit-pipes areshown connected with the condenser J, which may be of any approved construction. by the flexible iudia-rubber pipe K, lined with wire; or, if stufiing-boxes are used,-they may be rendered air-tight by su rrou nding them with oil.

L, Fig. I, is the air-pump, which is shown single action. The atmospheric pressure on the piston of this pump, together with that on the piston-rod of the large pump, are'madeto balance the weight of the cylinder of the latter, the small pump being on the down stroke when the large is on the up. Both pumps may be driven by cranks on a shaft, as is well understood, and if of the size of those shown in the drawings, which are to a quarterscale, can be driven slowly by hand or fast by power.

Too great care cannot be taken in the fit of the piston and valves of the large cylinder of these apparatus, although the dili'erence be I Many well-known forms of Archimedean,

pneumatic, and rotary pumps or'exhausters suggest themselves as applicable for produc-' ing small difleren'tial pressures, such as are here required, the two former worked with a medium of very high boiling-point in vessels capable of withstanding the pressure of. the

atmosphere, the latter worked at high speeds to for whichone of the Bourdon form of gages will answer. It is the more convenient plan when starting these pumps, in order to get up the vacuum,to begin with the second pump of the first method, or the air-pump-of the second method. These pum-ps should therefore be able to be disconnected from the first pump, so that they may be able to be worked sepa- I I ratel'y.

In applying my invention to difl'erent useful purposes, I use a variety of apparatus adapted to the difl'erent requirements, among which I especially mention the following: In making ice the water to be frozen or refrigerated need ouly be placed in a vessel capable of withstanding the external pressure of the atmosphere and connected with the pump or exhauster} as, for instance. in this way a decanter partially filled with water may have the water cooled or more or less turned to ice; I but where large blocks of ice are desired, I prefer to proceed as follows: I place a vessel or vessels (afterward called the freezingvessel, of the form desired for-the blocks of ice; and which vessel m'aybe mad e'-of any suitable materiahsuch as zinc) in another vesso] .with an opening large enough to admit the freezing-vessel, which opeuingI elose'with a cover fitted perfectly air-tight, as is'well understood, and I prefer to cause the vapors as they are drawn away from the freezing-vessel to pass over the surface of that vessel on their way to the pump or exhauster,

' I sometimes cool the water beforeit is admitlei to the freezing-vessel by passing the cold vapor from the freezing' vessel over a vessel or pipes containingor' through pipes passing through it. In this case the water af-. ter "it has 'beencooled may be allowed to run into the freezing-vessel, either intermittently or in a small stream; or the water cooled by one operation may be used in a subsequent operation.

1 sometimes'more or less remove the airand gases absorbed by the water to. be frozen before it is admitted to the freezing-vessel by submitting it to-a -partialvacun-in in andther, closed vessel. This may conveniently be done by conuectingfthis latter vessel with the secsight-ho'l-es, as in vacuum-pans stopped.

'oud pump of the firstmethod or the air-pump Y I tel-ward to be used for refrigerating ina reof the second method.

In the drawings I have shown these three last'processes more or less carried out in two different forms of apparatus, the first attached to the complete machine and adapted forsmall requirements, the second at Figs. II and III forlargerrequirements. i

In both the figures the same letters denote the same parts. v t

M is the freezing-vessel, which, in Fig. I, is

made of glass as a slow conductor of heat, but

.on its way to the. pump is shown by arrows.

O is a coil of pipe for cooling the waterto be frozen in Fig. I inclosed in the enlarged pipe to the pump-in Fig. II iuclosed between the diaphragm a and the sides and back of the vessel N, in both cases so that the vapors pass over it on their way to the pump. This pipe 0 is connected at one end with the reservoir of water P and at the other end with the valve Q, to regulate the admission of the water to the freezing-vessel. This valve must open direct into the vessel-without any intermediate passage, or otherwise it willbeliable to beclosed by the formation of ice. The reservoirP may be aclosed vessel with a pipe leading from the upperpart to the second pump or air-pump for the removal of the absorbed gases, the waterb'eing admitted to it by a cook. The vessel N, Fig. II, should be furnished with glass placed above thefreezing-vessel. f V The commencement of the formationof ice maybe known by the vacuum increasing to .2 of an inchof mercury in the gage on the -inlet-pipe,' and when the water is admitted to thefrcezing-vessel intermittently or in a small stream, and care is taken that it shall not lieat any depth on the top of the ice, it ay be known that'all the water has been turned to 'ice .by the vacuum increasing above .2 when the admission of the water has been I applying my invention to refrigerating liquids in the case of aqueous solutionssuch as brewers worm-they may be placed so as partially to fill a vessel connected with the pump or exhauster, and the aqueous vapor,

pressure of the atmosphere; or asulficient length of pipe may be laid in a similar-vessel 7 partially" filled with water, and wateu maybe 1 6 passed through the pipe and cooled, so as 5. r

5 3 which must only partially 'fill the vessel,-to

to be cooled may itself be passed through the pipe. In either case I prefer to cause thewater or liquid to .be refrigerated-to enter the 5 pipe at thevtop of the vessel and leave it .atthe. bottom, the-pipe. being-in the form of a series of flat helices or gridirons joinedtogether andlaid horizontally one above the other in'the. .vessel, only the lower'ones being covered by the water. partially filling the 'vesse1, so that the refrigeration of the water or-liquids in the pipe may be commenced by the vapor on its way to thepump, andfinished by the water evaporating at the lower part of the vessel, and. this water in the vessel may have its freezing-point lowered by chemical admixtures,as is well understood. I 1

In the case of refrigerating air it may be passed through pipes fixed in a similar vessel, preferably more or less perp.endicularly, and the vessel and pipes may be very much of the form of a multitubular perpendicular steamboiler, the air to be cooled being passed through the pipes,preferably ina downward direction, and materials may be added' to the water,

lower its freezing-point, and when itisdesired to cool the air below freezing-pointmeans' must f be used-such asscr'apers to keepthe lower which I-have found very suitable for carrying out my said invention for .th'eiv'arious pur- "posesherein set forth, I .would have it un .part ofthe pipes free from rime.

p'ln 'de'sicc'ating bythis inventionfthesube sta'nces to be desiccated may be laid on a; tray -I, ortrays and" p c in Vessel similar to the one described to ,contain the'freezing-vessel,

35. or on. shelves formed like thin boxes, through 3 which warm water may be circulated; or, the

' vapor drawn off from the substances to be 1 i .desiccated,after ithas been more or less com 40 pressed, may be "passed through the gridirons of pipes or very thin boxes instead of the warm water, the other endof the pipes or sides. of a the boxes to that at which the vapor is admit-- ted being connected with the air-pump.- Fig. 5 1V will-1 further explain this arrangement,- R

being the trays and T the gridirons' of pipes, k beingrthe pipe from'the pump or exhauster,

, and k being that to the air-pump.

l I In using this apparatus caution i'srequired, 0 according to the nature of the substances to be desic'cjated, f not to get'up. the vacuum in the vessel too quickly nor to draw away the vapor.

' too fast, as in'the case of organic substances the cells will be broken by their being sub-.

jectedjtoo quickly to avacuum or to toorapid {a subtraction of their watery constituents, and

' in the case of whole fruits the skins will be broken e peciaHy wherethe skin is of slow fp'ermeability, and when 'freezingwould'be in on jurious the pressure of the vapor in the vessel ,must not be reduced too low or down to .2 of.

an inch of mercury.

'- ,1. .In evaporating-by na'ry vacuum pan,. and the vapor pumped and the trays may be laid ongridirons of pipes,

a thisinventiontheliquids. 1' LIday be p'laced in a vessel similar to an-ordipassed through th'e'pipes or steam-jacket. In the latter case the pipes or steam-jacket of the vacuum-pan must beconnectedwith the air- 'the vapor drawn fronitliie liquidsmay be p u'mpf so that the vacuum-pan will be in the position-of the condenser J, Fig. I: in the drawings, andwhere the liquid to be evaporated is .of a viscid or sirupy nature 'the'bottom of they pan should be of a very fiat pattern, and the liquid to be evaporated not deep in it-say, .n'otimor'e than onefoot'in depth-. or it is advisable to stir the liquid with a stirrer, as is well understood, as the expansiveforc'e of the vapor at low temperatures is too small to rise from any depth.

point, brine may be passed through the pipes; or steam-jacket of the vacuum-pan and cooled by the evaporation of the frozen liquid, and the cooled brine may be used formaking ice for refrigerating, or water may be 'placein vessels closed to .the pan and not filled so as to burst by the freezing of the water-in them, and the liquid ,to be evaporated may be show ered over. the pipesor' vessels, but so that it may never allow any thickness on them.

Although I have described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed apparatus derstood thatI do not. limit myself to thense of the said apparatus for the carrying into effect.

the severalmodesor methods of freezing, refrigerating, evaporating, and desiccatinghere- 11 described, as other similar apparatus may e used forthe same purposes .1 I therefore'claim for .thepurpose of making When the liquid to be evaporated is not damaged by a temperature. below freezing.

ice, refrigerating, evaporating, audidesiccat' :1. The'descrihed nietliddof'm'aking ice,re}

frigeratingevaporating, and desiccatin'g, consisti'ng indrawingoh the vapor arising from water or liquids, or. substances 'containlng vaporizable water, when placed in. a vessel from which the: pressure of the atmosphere has been remove d,- and'compressing"the'vaporiso aris mg to a pressure less than that of; the atmos- 'phere by .means of a pump' or exhanster heated so as to preventthe condensation of the vapor in any of its parts, then delivering the vapor socompressed to another similarly-heated. pnm'p',by which it is further com pressedto the pressure of the atmosphere and me Q expelled or'delivered'to'one onmore pumps in succession'to be so compressed andlexpelled, substantially and for the purposes herein described.

frigerating, evaporating, and desiccating, con- 5 5. '2. The described met 1 g c ,.-re- Eg' sisting in drawing oif the vapor arising water or liquids, or substances contalmng fiva porziable water, when placed in a vessel ss "which the pressure of the atmosphere. ;has.,'

been removed,and compressing the vaponso arising to a pressure less than that of the undergoing concentration or desiccation, then atmosphere by means of a pump'or exhauster removing the water of condensation from the heated so as to prevent the condensation of vessel either by the air-pump or intermittently 15 the vapor in any of itsparts, thendelivering by letting down the vacuum in the vessel, and

f 5 the vapor so compressed into a vessel from drawing off the water,- substantially and for ghich'the air is exhausted by an air-pump or the purposes herein described.

elivcring it to, another oneor more heated pumps in succession, by which the vapor is OU further'compressed, and-then delivered into' Witnesses: 10 the exhausted vessel, then condensing the va- ROBERT RANDALL, v

por by cooling the vessel either by water or air 3 I CHAS. W. RANDALL, I or by theevap'oration of liquids or substances MindemPlace, Jersey. 

